I was born and raised in the Chicago area, starting in Jefferson Park, then moving to Des Plaines at the beginning of 7th grade. Since then I've lived in Wisconsin, Ohio, Italy, then back to Palatine, IL, and finally back to Chicago proper. I'm a city girl at heart, and have found my perfect spot in Lincoln Square where I live with my adorable cats. My current day job is as the Associate Director of Total Rewards at the Illinois Institute of Technology - I've always joked that human resources is great for the right half of my brain, while musical endeavors are for the left half!

Music has always been a huge part of my life. I sang at every opportunity as a child (and have ever since), dabbled in piano early on, and started playing flute in the 4th grade. In 7th grade all I wanted for Christmas was a piccolo - I got my wish Christmas Eve, immediately resulting in a hilarious piccolo-accordian Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer, partly in response to my grandmother's complaint that the annual Christmas Eve talent show didn't have any duets that year. In high school I continued singing, picked up oboe in symphonic band and orchestra, and ended up being marching band drum major junior and senior year, a position I desperately wanted only because I hated playing and marching at the same time! By the time college came around I decided to major in music therapy, which I realized wasn't the career for me by the middle of sophomore year. Still, I stuck with the degree because at that point it was the only way my diploma was going to say "Bachelor of Music" rather than "Bachelor of Arts."

My first job after college was coordinating the education programs at the Florentine Opera in Milwaukee, WI. It was a great first job, perfect for my skill set, and really gave me the opportunity to make an impact in many different ways. The chorus master even wrote me my own little song to sing as an introduction for our in-school programs, and for that I'll be forever grateful. After a few years I met a guy and followed him to Naples, Italy, which was quite the adventure (no more guy, but it was a good experience nonetheless!.). The food is fantastic and the people are incredibly friendly, but driving in southern Italy can be a harrowing experience! After a year and half it was back to the states, to the Chicago area, where I got right back into the musical scene. That fall I started singing with Chicago Chamber Choir, and then the brand new Wicker Park Choral Singers a couple of years later. I still sing with WPCS and it's been an incredible experience being a part of a group that's not only continued to raise the bar musically but has become more involved with the community at large.

Many people know that I'm a huge Cubs fan - I finally got my season tickets in 2019 after 13 years on the waiting list! In the summer there's nothing better than a warm, sunny day at Wrigley Field with the Cubs in the lead. It's also one of the avenues I use as an excuse to spend time with my fantastic nephews and niece, who are some of the brightest spots in my life and who I enjoy spoiling rotten. When I'm not at Wrigley I love traveling to see the Cubs in other cities - I'm on a mission to visit all 30 MLB parks, to see the Cubs play in as many of them as I can. I also love just traveling and new experiences in general - my other mission is to do my favorite Bodypump workout in all 50 states. When in Chicago, I love playing tour guide for family, friends, and the aforementioned nephews and niece.

For several years now St. Gregory's has been another musical home of sorts, as well as a spiritual one. I'm eternally grateful for the opportunity to sing with such incredible musicians, and to be part of such a vibrant and welcoming community. It is my sincere hope that I can give back to St. G's as much as it's given me.